Numbers 17

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses. He said,

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

2 “Speak to the people of Israel and get staffs from them, one for each ancestral tribe, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff.

'Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers' house, of all their princes according to their fathers' houses, twelve rods; thou shalt write every man's name upon his rod.

3 You must write Aaron's name on Levi's staff. There must be one staff for each leader from his ancestors' tribe.

And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for the head of their fathers' houses.

4 You must place the staffs in the tent of meeting in front of the covenant decrees, where I meet with you.

And thou shalt lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.

5 It will happen that the staff of the man whom I choose will bud. I will cause the complaints from the people of Israel to stop, which they are speaking against you.”

And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his rod shall bud; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.'

6 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel. All the tribal leaders gave him staffs, one staff from each leader, selected from each of the ancestral tribes, twelve staffs in all. Aaron's staff was among them.

And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7 Then Moses deposited the staffs before Yahweh in the tent of the covenant decrees.

And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.

8 The next day Moses went into the tent of the covenant decrees and, behold, Aaron's staff for the tribe of Levi had budded. It grew buds and produced blossoms and ripe almonds!

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds.

9 Moses brought out all the staffs from before Yahweh to all the people of Israel, and each man took his staff.

And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod.

10 Yahweh said to Moses, “Put Aaron's staff in front of the covenant decrees. Keep it as a sign of guilt against the people who rebelled so that you may end complaints against me, or they will die.”

And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept there, for a token against the rebellious children; that there may be made an end of their murmurings against Me, that they die not.'

11 Moses did just as Yahweh had commanded him.

Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

12 The people of Israel spoke to Moses and said, “We will die here. We will all perish!

And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone.

13 Everyone who comes up, who approaches Yahweh's tabernacle, will die. Must we all perish?”

Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?'